This invention relates to an over-the-road trailer hitch for use on intermodal railway cars, and in particular, to a cushioned hitch for such use.
In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 403,318, which is assigned to the same assignee as the present application, there is described a trailer hitch for use on so-called "piggy back" intermodal railway cars to secure over-the-road trailers on a railcar. This prior hitch was retractable and included a latch for locking it in an erect position and a release which when actuated allowed the hitch to move to a retracted position. While the hitch described in the above-noted co-assigned application works well for its intended purpose, this prior hitch was not cushioned, and as such, was intended for service on a cushioned railcar so as to limit the effects of impact loads on the trailers carried on the railcar held in place by the hitch.
Thus, there has been a need for a cushioned hitch which can be used on a "non-cushioned" car (i.e., a car having a standard draft gear) which can readily be latched in its erect position and which can readily be selectively retracted. However, in order to incorporate a cushioning unit in the hitch, the prior latching and release mechanisms could not be used. This created the problem of being able to provide a hitch which is automatically latched in its erect position, maintained there during use, and then readily and safely retracted.
Reference may be made to the co-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,879 which describes an elastomeric trailer hitch cushion utilized with a non-retractable hitch.